Q: I heard that a seed called chia is the latest to be labeled a superfood. What makes it so great?
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A: Americans have known about chia for a long time now — surely you or someone you know has owned a Chia Pet — but only recently have nutritionists found out just how healthy chia can be to eat. Al Bushway, professor in the Food Science and Human Nutirition department at the University of Maine, first looked at chia in 1978. He told me “the fiber content is excellent. It has a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids. Those are two very important factors.” Professor Bushway also likes its very low sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat contents. One hundred grams contains 10 times more magnesium than milk, 25 percent more fiber than flaxseed, twice the potassium of bananas, 30 percent more antioxidants than strawberries, and 50 percent more vegetable protein than soybeans, as well as 70% of your daily calcium and 50% of your iron requirement.
I eat two scoops on my breakfast cereal every morning and two more in an almond milk shake in the afternoon to control my weight. Just 26 grams of chia is so filling that it quashes my hunger for hours by forming a gel in the stomach which slows the absorption of food. I was able to lose seven pounds in just a month by incorporating the seed into my diet — dropping me below 200 pounds for the first time since my 20s. Chia can vary widely in its nutritional content so I take a blend to get the very highest levels of protein, fiber, antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids.
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Email your questions for Dr. Bob Arnot to dr.bob@mensjournal.com.
This article originally appeared in the June/July 2010 issue of Men’s Journal.
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May 26th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
100 grams? I hope that’s a typo…eek. That’s a whole lot of chia to recommend to eat in one day.
I use to call it a grain too, but Dr. Coates says it’s not. It’s a seed. The white seed isn’t called salba. Salba (brand name) only sells the white seed.
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May 31st, 2010 at 11:49 pm
I eat Salba, not chia, almost daily and it makes me feel great every time! Salba can absorb up to eight times its own weight in water, which explains for the feelings of satiety. Salba is much more than just white seed, it is scientifically proven to be a superior strain of seed. Salba even holds a medical patent. Don’t make the mistake of going with chia, get Salba instead and enjoy the benefits it will bring to your health!
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Jeanne Reply:
June 17th, 2010 at 10:16 am
salba is chia…I’ve been taking this brand called “running food”-has the history of the tarahumara indians-awesome runners!!! Saw a bit on the discovery channel about them running super long distances in their barefeet!!! I have had great results with my chloesterol; and I got my mom on it and see has seen her blood sugar results level out, her IBS symtoms become more manageable, her glacoma pressure the lowest since her eye surgery, and her chloesterol went down 30 points!! She is 73…love this stuff
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Andi Marie Reply:
June 17th, 2010 at 10:31 am
No way – I eat running food too. I love it. I have been using it for nearly 2 months and I have lost weight, my energy has increased too. I am currently training for a triathlon and have turned several of my friends on to this product. A couple of them just participated in the “Mountain Goat” run located in upstate, NY. they told me that since they have been taking Running Food, they don’t feel dehydrated and they are sore the next day. It is an amazing food. Finally, a natural product that is good for you and you can eat on a daily basis. I take 2-3 tablespoons per day and even my kids eat it. I especially love it in my smoothies and protein shakes.
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Aislin MacGregor Reply:
June 18th, 2010 at 10:34 am
I love Running Food! I’ve been taking it for a couple of months now and it has helped me lose tons of wieght and feel energized all day long! (Naturally!) I love that I don’t have to poison my body with harsh supplements and get BETTER results! I especially like the Running Food Flour, it is so simple to add to any food, and much more palletable than the whole seed!
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June 2nd, 2010 at 4:52 pm
“Chia can vary widely in its nutritional content so I take a blend to get the very highest levels of protein, fiber, antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids.” What does this mean, what kind of “blend?” Do you mean different brands? A blend of Chia and something else? Please explain, thanks.
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Garin Reply:
June 18th, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Salba is a superior strain of Chia called Salvia Hispanica L. It has been clinically proven to have a greater content of fiber and protein and is an all white seed. Salba has a medical patent and is superior to run of the mill chia. For more info about this awesome superfiod check out sourcesalba dot com.
Cheers,
Garin
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John Reply:
July 20th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
Totally false… Salba is a heirloom seed. I would truly like someone to explain the medical patent that it has. Its greater content of fibre and protein is the same as chia. Spending double to get the same result.
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Adam W Reply:
August 25th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
By blend, Dr. Bob was referencing something like Mila, which is a proprietary blend of the best strains of Chia. more info: lifemax.net/adamw
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June 2nd, 2010 at 10:06 pm
This is great, thank you very much
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June 7th, 2010 at 1:12 am
Wow so many super foods out there! I have Phsylium Husk in the mornings, would you recommend having Chia in conjunction?
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June 17th, 2010 at 8:43 pm
I have been on Purely Chia since it has been out. I love it! Most amounts of Omegas 3 (+has 6, & 9′s in the good ratio…..) available commercially and plant based so its easier for your body to absorb. Love the energy it gives me! It is so easy to add to your food. I use the purely chia flour. My son doesn’t eat anything, hardly, so I have been putting it in his food. Not a ton, but love that he is getting all that calcium, magnesium, manganese, seleium, iron, vitamin c, vitamin a, antioxidants…Sorry went on and on, but I am really happy with this product!
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June 20th, 2010 at 8:29 am
The Aztecs called chia “Running Food”. I found a product that has a proprietary process for Micro-Milling Chia seed and they call their product “Running Food”. It is made at a company that is qualifying as a Green + manufacturer, which means they will be supplying electricity, instead of using it. Currently they use nothing but sustainable energy sources (Wind, Water, Solar, Geothermal)and they offer their products in corn resin (compostable) packaging. The product is Micro-Milled, which makes the chia even better and you absorb 100 times the nutrition this way. The more you check out this product and the company, the better it gets.
http://www.runningfood.com
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August 30th, 2010 at 2:14 am
I must say this is a great article i enjoyed reading it keep the good work.
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April 7th, 2011 at 10:18 am
Chia seed has so many advantages as a daily supplement it is hard to list them all. Suffice to say that Chia should be on everyone’s menu.
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April 7th, 2011 at 10:19 am
Chia belongs should be on everyone’s menu. If it was, there wouldn’t be nearly as many diet related health problems.
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